1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the decorative illumination of Christmas trees and particularly to an improved construction for a multi-element lighting assembly adapted for mounting as a single unit on a conical structure such as a Christmas trees or the like.
2. Prior Art
Conventional Christmas tree lighting sets commonly include a plurality of female socket elements, each adapted to receive a screw-in or bayonet-type lamp element, mounted in a spaced relationship along a pair of elongate insulated conductors that terminate at least at one end, and more usually at both ends, in an attachment plug receptacle element for effecting interconnection to a source of electricity and/or to another string of lights. Such sets conventionally have the lamp elements arranged in either a series or parallel connection and the voltage and current ratings of the lamp elements employed are selected in accord therewith.
The mounting of such strings of lights on Christmas trees is generally relatively burdensome in that as they are removed from storage, and after the strings are untangled, commonly with the help of young children and house pets, it normally requires careful positioning thereof to avoid weighing down the branches of the tree, to facilitate interconnection of successive strings and to obtain a relatively uniform distribution of lights for aesthetic purposes. In summary, after the prior art light strings are removed from storage and untangled, they must be deployed on the surface of the tree in such a manner that (a) there is no localized overweighting of branches, (b) successive strings of lights plug into each predecessor and (c) there results a balanced presentation of lights over the surface of the tree.
To facilitate deployment of Christmas tree lights, Ahroni in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,720,773 and 4,736,282, describes a mounting collar for use with conventional strings of Christmas lights. The mounting collar surrounds the tree trunk near the top of the tree. The collar presents a circumferential row of mounting tabs or posts over which the wires of a light string may be looped or hooked at regular intervals to divide the light string into a series of depending loops. Ahroni's collar, being separate from the light string(s), does not provide a convenient tangle-free unitary assembly useful for facile storing and redeployment of the lighting assembly. Moreover, the light set taught by Ahroni does not provide for an aesthetically pleasing balanced arrangement of lights over the surface of a tree.
Crucefix in U.S. Pat. No. 4,870,547, describes a Christmas tree light assembly which overcomes the problem of positioning successive strings of lights to permit series connection and thereby provides an assembly which reduces set-up time. Crucefix' assembly provides a Christmas tree lighting system whereby a string of lights can be easily arranged on a Christmas tree. Crucefix' invention comprises Christmas tree assembly with a collar around the top of the tree that plugs into a wall receptacle. Depending from the collar are independent strings of lights. The collar is placed on the tree near its apex, preferably with Velcro fasteners, leaving a plurality of strings of lights dangling downward from the collar. The advantage of Crucefix' lighting assembly is that it is easy to put on the tree and the electrical wiring arrangement prevents overheating of electrical connections. His design, however, does not provide for a balanced presentation of lights in their spatial arrangement because the strings are farther apart at the bottom than they are at the top. Moreover, the dangling strings become entangled during storage making untangling and redeployment more difficult.
Forrer, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,096,943 teaches the use of a unitary web-like assembly of lights for covering a Christmas tree. Forrer's assembly which consists of a plurality of interconnected light-bearing risers, may be wrapped around a tree and fastened to assume a substantially frustro-conical form. Forrer's assembly lacks adjustability. For example, the height of the frustro-conical form must be less than the length of two risers. Thus, it is desirable to provide a single unitary assembly that is adaptable to a variety of tree sizes and shapes.